Sing as a Valediction
by laced-profanity
Summary: The whole Konoha gang are on undercover mission to report on strange disappearing...in the hidden village of Arts!Shared between newly discovered feelings and performing different arts, how will they handle?


Sing for Valediction

Chap 1

-You tell me something like this one more time at the crack of dawn for a reason so insignificant and I swear to you, with all due respect I can owe a twisted sensei standing at my front door reading "Icha Icha Paradise Vol.8", you will most certainly not live the night.

So spoke Neji Hyuuga in his black yukata, to his own devoted profesor's sworn rival, in this case Hatake Kakashi. The said person simply flipped a page, his half-lidded eye continuing it's lecture; the sensei then spoke up:

-My, my, Gai and some of your teammates told me you were an early riser, but I think they' ve ommitted the fact that it makes you preety moody as well.

-And I think they' ve also omitted the fact that 4:38 A.M. is still quite an early hour to rise or recieve, still might it be a high-ranked profesor as you are. Good night, Kakashi-sensei.

Just before the young aspirant could close the door of the Hyuuga's residence main entrance, a gloved hand slid into the interstice, Kakashi's visible eye suddenly revealing hidden dangers within the teacher.

-Young man, you seem to be forgetting both your place, and who I am. But since it appears that you have a short term memory loss problem, i'll help you out this once: I am Hatake Kakashi, your elder both in age and in rank and in some cases, i'm even your teacher; you are Neji Hyuuga, one of my students and currently, your place should be right here before me speaking to me with repect. Have I made myself clear enough, Hyuuga?

Silence trailed itself between teacher and student; silence during which Neji dove his immaculate eyes into the eye of the man standing before him. And what he saw in there dissuaded him from any further discussing.

-Forgive me, sir; i'm just not living my best moments of life right now, whispered Neji, his pure eyes shadowed by a dark thought.

After a short silence, Kakashi hinted:

-Is it Hinata or that sour man you call your uncle?

-If only it could be such a fickle thing...you may come in, but I suggest we go in the backyard; as you can, see many of us are still asleep,hinted the young genin,stroking back his long raven locks away fom his snowy face.

A minute later, the two Konoha inhabitants were sitting on a moss covered stone bench, staring at the rainfall.

Staring at eternity fall down.

So eternally...pure.

Entwining his slender fingers together, Kakashi whispered, staring at the great trees supporting the weight of the rain:

-When I used to be a child, just about your age, I always used to sit on the rooftops of the school and just watch the rain fall for hours; I felt both so small in such an immensity laying before me, among so many raindrops. And then again, I could measure myself to this grandor; because I could feel my sadness in each and every raindrop falling to the ground. I always tried to define the meaning of sadness when sitting above the roof, but i could only understand it when drenched with rain and sadness, just as you were during the past week. That is why i am sure i can share the definition of sadness with you.

For once caught by surprise, the Bunke Hyuuga stared in awe at Kakashi and demanded, not even trying to justify his act:

-How do you know that? Anyone would try to cross the main door and he wouldn't even realize he's dead, explained the confused teenager.

From under his mask, the high-class ninja managed a smile and winked:

-But I'm _not _anyone,remember that. Don't worry, I won't tell a soul, reassured the teacher as he crossed a look of shame across Neji's face. Your secret's safe with me. Trust me.

After staring at the rain for another second, the sensei lit up in his habitual good mood:

-Now; I'll finally expose the point of my visit to you this early in the morning,I'm sure you'll agree. Your profesor, Gai-sensei, lef after an emergency call on a mission last night, and so did Kurenai-sensei and Asuma-sensei. That makes three missing profesors, and it would be such a shame if we left 12 lively teenagers as yourself roaming about in Konoha without any kind of training whatsoever, wouldn't it? So, by decree of her Excellency Tsunade-sama, 5th Hokage of Konoha no Kuni, I hereby proclaim you as my student from now on, until th return of your profesors.It's official.

It seemed as if Neji wasn't through with surprises on that day.

-What do you mean by "it's official"? And why couldn't you wait until we were all awake and ready to hear the news?

-It's official because your 11 other classmates are also awake and still in their pyjamas, but they know about these news; and I came now just because it's so adorable to see energetic teenagers in the day at such a forsaken state to slumber in the night... Well, I should get going before Tsunade knows i woke you poor kids up at this hour,declared the ninja as he stood from the bench. I'll see you on the training grounds tomorrow, 9:AM straight.

-Wait!

Kakashi turned to the beautiful teenager, knowing the cruel torments burning within him; Neji parted his lips, as if about to say something of first importance; then he lowered his outstreched arms and his lily colored irises reflecting discouragement, and simply asked:

-How did you contact Hinata without me hearing you?

Once more, the profesor gave a knowing gaze and murmured:

-Are you sure you wanna know?

And he disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving a poor child at prey to his misery,watched by a slender figure with fiery hair leaning on the highest branch of the oak tree.

-Say Sakura, is Kakashi -sensei always this late, or did he just die trying to get here? questionned Kiba, stroking Akamaru's soft fur.

Out of 12 aspirants, only half were not conspiring premeditated assassination attempt on the late teacher; that half included Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke, who seemed quite accustomed to this situation (even though Naruto and Sakura had to vent their remainig impatience on Sasuke); Shino, who was captivated by a new specie of insects crawling on the rough bark of the trees in the training grouds; serene Hinata stood quiet in her little corner, hoping that Kakashi-sensei was alright and that Naruto would say something nice to her today; and finally Neji, perched atop the tree Shino was examinating, was far too busy venting out his own feelings to even care wether the teacher was even alive.

Lee was beginning another song about the strenght of youth and Tenten was carving he name for the 14th time on a tree orned of other doodling thanks to her sharp kunais when a puff of smoke and a page-flipping noise informed them of the long-awaited arrival of the profesor.

Without condescending to give a glance to his students, Kakashi only lifted a peace sign and said:

-Yo. Sorry i'm late.

And in a perfect unison, (nearly) all the aspirants shrieked out:

-YOU'RE LATE!

-I hear that sentence often...I'm sorry; it's just that on my way here, I had to help an old granny cross the street, but she happened to be a camouflaged ninja vowed to end my life because I killed his brother (and as a matter of fact, I did...)so she tried to kidnap 8 innocent children and i obviously had to save them.

-LIAR!accused Sakura and Naruto, accusingly pointing a finger to their sensei.

-Damn, I thought i'd do better this time. The truth is that I completely forgot you lil poor munchkins 'cause i didn't finish reading volume 8 of "Icha Icha Paradise".

Someone tugged on Sasuke's shirt, who turned to face Kiba's admirative expression:

-What?

- Does he always lie this well?

-Honestly, i've seen him make a better performance of his lying abilities but yea, he the raven haired teenager.

-Cool...you got an awesome teacher,man!

-Wanna switch?

-Maybe you shouldn't do that, unless you want me to sign you up for a life supply of ramen soup and shiruko,siad a voice an inch away from Sasuke's ear.

Ignoring his sensei behind him, Sasuke simply grunted a "Excuse me", and let his teacher carry on:

-So, since i'm stuck with you kids for a moment, i might as well give you the news; I'll start with the good ones:good news is, we're going on a field trip this week-end for a during of a whole week!

Letting the outburst of joy die away by flipping two other pages of his not-so-right book, Kakashi continued:

-Eventually there bad news,and they're bad for 3 reasons:first of all because we're going to the Hidden Village of Arts, second, no one has ever been in this mysterious village and third of all, it's because we're on a mission, and we're not going to have fun.

A long serie of "awww"s and "too bad"s followed Kakash's statements, who asked for any questions.

Sakura lifted her arm up:

-Sensei, what's this new mission about?

-Well, as you all know, there are Hokages at the head of each village who administrate it, and organize cultural ceremonies, competitions against other villages, and so on; now, this particular village has never partcipated to anything that looks like a manifestation, donation or anything whatsoever. But they never meddled in our business, we don't meddle in theirs, so we' ve always been in peace, and we respect their discretion. Problem is, as far as we can respect their self-isolation, there are some things that we cannot shut our eyes upon: on our last mission given, we happened to pass by the village of arts,and dicovered interesing news; the former Hokage of this village had suddenly disappeared after a certain ceremony this village gives every year; so, there's been a new Hokage elected. So far, so good. But somehow, since this Hokage has acceeded to his new functions, strange disappearances started to occur; stranger still, and maybe the most alarming news yet, 8 bodies have been found, mutilated, in a cave near the Village of Arts. And those ninjas happen to belong to our village. So, since we aren't hyper people, our mission consists into investigating discretely on this series of killings that suddenly began since the arrival of this new Hokage. Got it?

-Got it!

To everyone's surprise, Hinata lifted a pale, timid hand up,her shy face crimson in embarassment.

-Yes Hinata? encouraged Kakashi.

-Um... about th-this village...uh...h-how come we' ve never heard about it sir?

The profesor remained silent for an instant, then smiled as brightly as he could under his mask to Hinata and answered:

-Why don't you ask questions that I can answer?

The Hyuuga girl lowered her head, mumbling a "Sorry,sensei".

-And now, my little ones, there is one last thing to know, and I'm sure you won't appreciate; as you know, we have to investigate as undercover spies in order to disimulate our true identities, right? And to "blend in", we have to do what the inhabitants of this village do,right? Do you _know _what these people do? They sing, dance, perform, and so much more...

Naruto hinted, his clear eyes shadowed in worry:

-Wait...you're not expecting us to...

-Actually, I'm not only expecting, I'm actually _planning_ you to sing dance _and_ perform as well. I want to make you artists.

From that moment on, the 12 aspirans of Konoha no Kuni started to consider their mission a bit differently. Just a little more...expectant.

ohayo everyone! this is my first official fanfic, so plz read and review, it helps a lot to those poor writers who try to bring joy and happiness into this world...ahem. yeah. actually, would you just read and review? thnx a million, hoped you liked it!


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